Shades of Gray
by whimsical-one-ga
Summary: When the justice system is thwarted one too many times it is hard on everyone. How does the team cope, especially those with their own children, when a child killer is set free?
1. Prologue

_Prologue_

For the FBI's elite Behavioral Analysis Unit the atmosphere was often intense around the division, as one horrific case after another would cross their desks or cause them to be called away to investigate. Though they successfully closed case after case it was hard to find any true satisfaction due to the lingering effect of knowing that the suffering was not over for the victims and families of both victims and perpetrators they always left behind trying to pick up the pieces of their lives.

On this Friday afternoon the mood was especially grim as the tired agents worked to finish up the paperwork on the case they had just returned from late the night before involving an arsonist who had burned down several homes in Oregon. Several families had suffered devastating losses in terms of not only property but the lives of loved ones, ranging from infants to elderly who had not been able to escape the flames in time. Ordinarily the pace would be a rushed one with the goal to get through the necessary paperwork and leave for a rare weekend of downtime. But on this rare Friday silence reigned in the bullpen as they all stared listlessly at the papers in front of them.

"This is bullshit." Derek Morgan was the first to snap and express his feelings of anger to no one in particular, not even expecting a response aside from the others who were staring unseeing at the documents in front of their faces.

"We practically caught him red-handed, there was so much evidence, I just don't understand." Blake sounded confused as she followed the opening to finally discuss the news story that had just broken late the prior day when a surprise verdict had been handed down in a case they had handled.

It had been eight months ago when the FBI had been called to Richmond Virginia to a case that had certainly ranked as one of their worst over the years. Somewhere in the city there was a killer who had developed a pattern of kidnapping young boys, the oldest victim had only been eight, the youngest had been 4.

The MO was always the same, children would disappear from public places such as parks and playgrounds, even with attentive parents nearby no one had witnessed anything suspicious. With each disappearance the police would face the frustration of finding no witnesses or evidence to provide even the smallest lead. Until there was more physical evidence all they had to work with was the FBI's profile that pointed to a middle aged white male who would not stand out in places frequented by children. While authorities scoured the parks to look for anyone who fit their description it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. When a child had been reported missing by hysterical parents it would only be two days until their bodies would be found dumped into a body of water which served to remove any trace evidence that might have helped point to a killer. Even more heartbreaking than finding the battered young bodies was finding out from the medical examiner that the boys had also been repeatedly molested before their death.

The BAU had caught a fortunate break while during the course of their investigation en a four year old boy had run to his mother claiming that the man in the ice cream truck had tried to drive away with him. As the focus shifted to the possibility of an ice cream truck driver as a potential suspect the pieces began to fall together quickly. As Garcia quickly narrowed down the list of names of men with permits to operate the ice cream trucks in the area James Starkey quickly fit their profile not only as someone children would be likely to trust but also as having a troubled background that included numerous stints in treatment facilities as an adolescent before he had seemingly straightened out his life in his early twenties. His truck fit the profile also as a way to quickly hide his victims and be able to transport them through public places without raising awareness. When warrants were acquired and the truck had been searched they had found their final break when fingerprints from the last boy killed had been found under the lid of the freezer compartment.

The BAU team members had left Richmond, trying to shake off the horror of what they had seen, comforted only by the knowledge that another monster was off the streets. The case seemed so clear cut that they all left certain that James Starkey would be convicted of his crimes based on the account of the child he had tried to take next and the forensic evidence found in the truck.

Now the media was inundating the public with headlines proclaiming "Ice cream killer set free!", "FBI catches the wrong man?" "Time to lock up your children!" and the list went on. As they read the papers and made a few phone calls to their case contacts it soon became clear that even with the forensic evidence linking James Starkey to one of the victims that his lawyers had found enough loopholes to turn the tide. The defense team had managed to effectively discredit the child's experience and mother's testimony as being part of the hysteria that had been gripping the city at the time. Other children had testified that it was not uncommon for them to be allowed in to look into the ice cream truck. With much of the witness testimony and physical evidence beginning to unravel the case against the killer had started rapidly falling apart. The painstaking profile and analysis of the team that had outlined the motivation and troubled past of their killer had not been enough to hold together the case without the strength of the forensic and physical evidence and now James Starkey was on his way back to Richmond.

As the individual team members each continued to try and stomach the knowledge that a monster was back on the street it was particularly hard for the two parents on the team. JJ compulsively viewed the photos of the victims as she fought the urge to run home to hug henry as tears threatened while she viewed the photos of the smiling boys on her screen. She felt a sense of profound loss that their lives had been cut so short and an uncharacteristic sense of rage at the thought that the man responsible was free to harm other children.

"We had him," was all that Aaron Hotchner could think over and over as he sat in his darkened office, the shadows playing across his grim expression as he thought of how James Starkey had escaped their grasp, inwardly cursing the lack of overwhelming physical evidence that had caused just enough doubt to sway the jury. His heart ached for the four year old boy who had tried so hard to describe how he had almost been kidnapped only to see the man responsible walk away free. Hotch had viewed the footage of the trial closely and saw the slight sneer the man directed at the boy and the rest of the body language that convinced him the man they had arrested had been the right one. His body language when the verdict was announced was one of confidence and arrogance, hardly the typical relief felt by people who had been cleared of major crimes. Hotch stared almost unseeing at Jack's photo on his desk as his mind continued to try and cope with the miscarriage of justice.


	2. Impulse Control

**Chapter 1: Impulse Control**

The evening shadows were beginning to gather as JJ finally got in her car to drive to her empty apartment, wishing she didn't have to wait until morning to go get Henry from where he was staying at Will's apartment across town. She tried her usual method of letting thoughts of her son fill her mind to push away the darkness that had been threatening to overwhelm her during the day of never-ending reminders about the case from Richmond. Even though the team had unanimously decided to turn off the news and ignore media outlets they still couldn't escape the reminders as well-meaning fellow he agents would stop by to express their sympathy or to discuss the general black eye the agency had received as a result of acquittal. With all the commotion continuing to interfere with their work the trickle home began much earlier than usual as Blake left soon after lunch, followed by Reid and then Morgan by late afternoon. She didn't know when Rossi left, he was good at slipping out unnoticed. It wasn't until she finally gathered her completed reports and scanned the offices that she realized she was the last member of the unit as Hotch had also left only thirty moments before she had. Barely speaking to her as he passed the bullpen, but from the brief glimpse of his face and the weariness in his step she could guess that Jack was probably weighing on his mind also.

As she thought of Jack and Henry and their happy smiling faces she could feel some of the lightness beginning to take effect, especially as she started remembering Henry's laughter from their last trip to the playground, how she had pushed him on the swings against the backdrop of his giggles and pleas to go higher. She felt a smile begin to form as she could visualize her happy son in her mind as they had stopped at his favorite ice cream shop on the way home. But as she pictured him with chocolate ice cream smeared on his delicate features the image in her mind was suddenly replaced by Tommy Dawson, the fourth victim of The Icecream Killer as he was dubbed by the media. There had been no denying a resemblance to Henry when she recalled his wispy blonde hair and blue eyes. He had been at the park with his mother when he suddenly vanished before being found those two days later. She could still almost hear the anguished sobs of his parents when they had been notified that their son had been found. As she recalled the resemblance and began thinking of how all the little boys had simply been going for ice cream before they met their untimely deaths she could feel the darkness begin to invade her thoughts once again. Suddenly filled with purpose she found herself turning away from her usual route home to take a completely different direction.

CMCMCMCMCMCMCMCM

As Hotch drove through the dark streets of Richmond the attempts of his conscience to intervene were futile as his mind stayed consumed with a single purpose. Once the idea had struck his mind quickly became adept at rationalizing that he was going to remedy a miscarriage of justice and to protect children from a known predator. He had stopped by Jessica's on his way home to pick up his son for the weekend trip home but Jack had already fallen asleep. As he stepped into the bedroom intending to wake his son he saw the dim light illuminating the delicate features and just stopped to watch as Jack peacefully slept, oblivious to the day's events that continued to weigh on his father's heart, with a sigh Hotch turned, asking Jessica if he could pick Jack up in the morning. Considering how tired he looked she did not consider it an unusual request as she cheerfully agreed and invited him to come back and have pancakes with them in the morning.

As he continued to drive toards his destination he knew his thoughts that he was protecting Jack with what he was planning to do were not completely logical, but that was not enough of a deterrent and before he knew it the quiet street on the outskirts of Richmond appeared. His grip tightened on the steering wheel even as he saw the ice cream truck still parked in the driveway of the small house. he drove slowly by taking stock of the small rundown neighborhood. He was satisfied to see that the street appeared quiet and houses were dark as he circled back out of the street to park at a nearby empty church parking lot. He paused for a moment as he into heavily shaded corner in the back parking lot, feeling a spike of adrenaline as he pulled into the shadows and his lights glinted off the metal of another deserted vehicle that for a moment looked vaguely familiar but he shook the thought quickly as he refocused on his goal and the internal reminder that time was of the essence tonight.

He was thankful for his dark suit and hair that enabled him to blend into the shadows as he skirted the treeline towards the small rundown home of James Starkey. A privacy fence in the back afforded him even greater security as he moved towards a broken down back porch. The setup couldn't be better he thought as he moved purposefully towards the door, no bright security lights and a gravel path surrounding the house that made it more likely that he would be able to move undetected and without leaving behind footprints. The FBI agent's heart rate continued to accelerate as he reached the door, realizing he had not really thought this through well but knowing he had come too far to stop now.

As he stepped into a dirty kitchen he listened for a moment, hearing nothing in the house he cautiously turned on his pen light to begin making his way through the narrow corridors in search of his quarry.

Meanwhile JJ crept down the hallway, her nerves prickling and her senses heightened as she navigated the unfamiliar home with her own penlight. Her gun drawn she worked quietly and efficiently as she began to work her way through the house. Just as she had begun to think she was the only one there she froze as she heard the slight scrape of a door opening. Instinctively she turned her light towards the floor and flattened herself against the wall, her breathing shallow as she knew that she had come too far to stop now. Staying frozen she listened, just barely hearing the soft footsteps coming down the hallway towards her location, taking a steadying breath she turned the safety off her gun as she prepared for the confrontation.

Hotch drew his gun out of its holster and steadied it as he could feel the presence of another person in the darkened hallway. His eyes worked to focus in the dark as he inched forward listened intently for any sounds to alert him, he continued to move forward slowly, ready to shoot as soon as his target was visible though suddenly wishing he had thought to take his FBI vest from the trunk of the SUV at work. A floorboard squeaked loudly as he took one more tentative step towards the corner and the next moment seemed liked a lifetime as a figure stepped out in front of him obviously in a shooting stance as the light hit his face.


	3. Second Thoughts

**Chapter 3: Second Thoughts**

The years of FBI training was likely the only salvation as with fingers on the triggers and the safety off both were prepared to fire at the perceived threat before they froze, shock registering in their faces as they recognized the identity of the other.

"Hotch, what are you doing here?" JJ practically hissed, her voice a whisper in the apparently deserted house as she recovered her wits first, already trying to figure out how he had known where to find her as she began bracing herself for the reprimand she was sure to come.

"I could ask you the same thing," Hotch said wryly as the pounding in his chest began to subside while he addressed the still startled blonde in front of him. He was already wondering how he was supposed to explain his presence to his subordinate who had obviously had the same idea. For a moment he considered coming up with a different explanation but his conscience rebelled at the idea even as JJ responded, the mix of anger and shame evident on her face.

"I didn't know what else to do. I couldn't bear to think of him hurting another child." JJ's tone was soft, almost apologetic as she waited for a reproach from her supervisor, remembering what had happened with Elle when she followed a similar path with a serial rapist. Saying no more she waited silently for the condemnation of her actions, not slowing to question how he had even known how to find her.

"I couldn't think of another way to stop him either." Hotch admitted slowly, seeing the surprise in her eyes as she realized that he had not come to stop her but with the same goal. Neither spoke as they silently digested the revelation that they had both essentially put their careers on the line in addition to putting themselves at risk legally if they were discovered.

They stood together in the dark for several silent moments, both trying to think of what to say next, embarrassed at being caught in such a compromising position, searching for the words to justify the breach of protocol but unable to find them.

"I couldn't stop thinking of Henry," JJ finally said, knowing she didn't need to explain herself but feeling that she had to say something to explain her actions.

"I know, I've been going through the same thing thinking about Jack. I just lost my ability to be objective about it." Hotch said ruefully as he slowly holstered his weapon, "the question is, now what?" He said glancing around furtively now a little less sure about his mission.

"The house is clear, we could leave now and no one would know the difference." JJ suggested, now more uncomfortable with their location as the earlier rage had started to subside.

"We could look around before we leave, see if anything tells us what his next move might be." Hotch suggested, his brow furrowed as he considered the possibilities.

The two agents easily slipped into teammate roles as they began searching quietly through the house, one keeping the other covered as they did so before they finally ended up in the lone bedroom.

"Have you noticed the different pictures of his father," JJ made the observation. "I saw one in the hallway hung with obvious reverence, not a speck of dust on it, and yet this one has almost been destroyed." She whispered as she focused her flashlight beam on a battered frame on the dresser that contained a picture of the elder Starkey, beaming besides his young son like a proud father even as the child looked miserable in his football uniform. "He was probably not much older than Jack in this picture." She added sadly as she studied the misery visible in the child's face.

"Our profile did point to likely childhood abuse. He was probably molested by his father at a young age and has taken to copying him, alternating between wanting to cling to his abuser as a parent figure and his hatred of what was done to him." Hotch's tone was as clinical as if they were in the briefing room at Quantico as he finished surveying the sparse furnishings, ignoring the reference made to Jack in the process, not wanting to connect his son to the killer in any respect.

"Poor kid," JJ said as she studied the photo one last time. For the adult James Starkey it was easy to find the rage and loathing but as she looked at the face of the young boy who's innocence had been destroyed to the point of turning him into a monster all she could feel was sadness. "Let's go home," she finally said with resignation as she began to slide her weapon back into her holster.

"I agree, we shouldn't be here," Hotch agreed with a sigh as he began following her back down the hallway towards the back kitchen entrance, realizing now the precarious position they were both in as he could only imagine what would happen to both their careers if they were caught in his home by some rookie cop if a neighbor had noticed the break in, much less than if they had actually been able to go through with their original plan.

As the two agents started down the narrow hallway towards their exit they suddenly froze at the sound of the front door opening and the house suddenly being flooded in lights as heavy footsteps alerted them to the fact that someone was quickly lumbering up the stairs and would be upon them in moments.


	4. Renewed Resolve

**Chapter 4: Renewed Resolve**

With such a small house places to hide were minimal. As the footsteps neared JJ focused on the kitchen door, wondering if they could get through it without being noticed in time to escape, gnawing her lip as she factored in that part of the kitchen was visible from the stairwell. Her instinct telling her that while they could get out, odds were that they wouldn't be able to make it without being seen which could be a problem if he had a weapon on him. Meanwhile Hotch quickly took inventory of the dim hallway, again seeing the path to the bedroom before he registered the slatted closet door to his left. Quickly opening it he grimaced as he was faced with a small linen closet that looked like it barely had enough room for his large frame but with no other options he grabbed JJ's hand to pull her into the small shelter, she gasped in surprise but squeezed in as they barely got the door to shut before they heard the footsteps round the corner to where they had been standing only moments before.

JJ could feel the temperature rapidly rising as she tried to focus on the discomfort of the wooden shelf digging into her back instead of the solid body mashed against her front. She could barely tell where she ended and Hotch began as she could almost imagine that she was hearing his heart thudding along with hers in the stifling closet from the adrenaline coursing through their bodies at the near miss they'd had in the hallway. She detected the smell of coffee and could feel the warmth of his breath on her face as they attempted to regulate their breathing as the footsteps shuffled by their location and progressed down the hallway, the easy movements telling them it was obviously Starkey who had returned home as opposed to another intruder or law enforcement personnel.

"We'll let him get settled and leave out the back?" Hotch's voice sounded loud in the small space, even though he barely spoke in a whisper as JJ nodded her agreement before giving a whispered word of agreement when she realized that he couldn't see her in the darkness of the closet. As they listened to the sounds of the man moving about the house JJ registered a new sensation as she became increasingly aware of their closeness, realizing that aside from the shelf at her back she was feeling discomfort from the handle of the gun in his shoulder holster digging into the side of her breast. She shifted slightly to try to alleviate the pressure, feeling his muscles tense as she did so. "Sorry, your gun…" she stopped herself, letting the thought trail off as no matter how she said it she felt it would sound dirty. _"I've been hanging around Rossi too long,"_ she thought with an inward groan as she realized how quickly her mind had gone into the gutter.

"This is a little awkward," he finally whispered as they listened to the homes occupant continue to move around in his nightly routine, now in the kitchen judging by the sound of the refrigerator and humming of the microwave along with rattling silverware as he prepared his evening meal.

"Just a little," she agreed, hoping he couldn't see the blush on her face as her senses registered some of the smells emanating from his body. She could feel the temperature gauge still rising in the close quarters as she noted the more familiar scents of his cologne and aftershave give way to odors typically detected on a more intimate level. Instead of being embarrassed though she felt curious as she took inventory of the smells that she knew were uniquely his own, feeling a moment of shyness as she wondered if he might be doing the same. Breaking the silence she mused about the current situation aloud. "I'm surprised he came straight back here."

"I agree, there's probably more than one mother in this community ready to do him in themselves and I'm not sure there's a jury that would convict if she was one of those that lost her child." He added, using conversation to try and fill the time so he wouldn't have to focus on the softness of her body and the complications that could arise as a result of their closeness if he allowed his mind to continue analyzing the sensations he was experiencing. He had quickly taken note of the sweet smell of honey vanilla shampoo she was known to be partial to, that along with her occasional shifting against him as she tried to find a way to be comfortable was giving him a hard time in terms of keeping his libido in check. He inwardly cursed Rossi for innuendos he had dropped about JJ in the past before he tried to shift his train of thought again to focus on the sounds from the kitchen as a reminder that now was a very bad time to allow his mind to pursue any other avenues related to their current proximity.

The both stiffened reflexively when they heard the footsteps heading back towards their location, pausing near their hiding place causing their hearts to begin racing again as they wondered if they were about to be discovered. Hotch felt JJ jerk against him when she flinched as the man began speaking in a high pitched almost sing song voice.

"Well Daddy, I'm home, they thought they had me but I was too smart for them." He said, obviously addressing the hallway photo that was adjacent to their hiding place. "I'm going to have to be careful for a little while, but I'm thinking of taking my truck further north, maybe to Fredericksburg where I can rent another house, maybe one with a basement…." he continued to ramble to his dead father as he began walking down the hallway again, voice fading as he moved towards his bedroom.

It was Hotch's turn to blanch in the darkness as he thought of how close Fredericksburg was to Quantico. At barely half an hour away it wouldn't be too much of a stretch for the man to make it near their homes if he was brazen enough to do so, all thoughts of turning back from his original plan quickly disappearing as he thought of the man anywhere near the home he shared with Jack. JJ must have thought the same he realized as she buried her face into his chest as he felt more than heard the gasp of horror she emitted. They stood in silence for a moment as they let the implications set in and cut off their earlier plans for an undetected escape.

"You should go home," Hotch finally suggested nobly, knowing that with what they had heard it was time to return to his original plan but not wanting to involve his subordinate any more than she already was.

"No, I'm staying, we'll do this together," she whispered resolutely as she pulled back, looking up to where could make out the barest outline of his face as her eyes had adjusted to the darkness.

He didn't argue, knowing it was useless to do so as he felt his heart sink, his soul already cringing from the knowledge of what was going to transpire that night and how it was going to change them both forever. I've never had to think ahead of time about how to kill someone before," He finally said slowly, his mind already going through various scenarios.

"I know, usually we're trying to figure it out after the fact." She agreed, but let's go over some of the more typical methods and see what we can eliminate. For example if we shoot him then we leave behind the bullets that can be traced back to government issued weapons, so that's out." She said striking out the most obvious course they had.

"True, I don't think the locals will put too much effort into an investigation considering what he was just accused of, but we don't need to draw them a map." Hotch agreed as he considered further, "how about a kitchen knife?"

"Too messy, plus what if we end up accidentally pointing the finger at one of the mothers of those boys, I couldn't let someone else pay." JJ said, a new worry in her mind as she thought of their mission.

"Then we'll need to kill him and make sure the body is never found." Hotch's voice was hard as he reached for the doorknob, ready to step out and pull out his weapon to finally end a cycle of abuse once and for all.

"Wait," JJ stopped him, "we both know it's almost impossible to guarantee a body won't be found, plus the risk of being seen with it as we carry him back to our cars. I think we should stage a suicide." She hastily presented the plan that had come to her mind as being the most viable.

"But he was smug about the verdict, he hasn't shown any remorse, he's given no indicators of being suicidal." Hotch was confused as to why she would suggest something so obviously against the profile.

"As you said, they'll hardly do much of an investigation. They won't have a problem chalking it up to a suicide, end of story. They're not going to call in a profiling team over a lowlife like this." She encouraged, obviously convinced of the route they should take.

"Ok, maybe you're right but convincing suicides are tough to stage." Hotch's voice was grim again as with hushed whispers they continued to plot the finer points of how to stage their victim's death.


	5. Execution

**Chapter 5: Execution**

"We need to swear that whatever happens tonight is never spoken of beyond this house." Hotch said solemnly as he considered what they were about to do. The secret about Emily's "death" had been difficult enough, but this was something that could easily spiral into a living nightmare if they ever let even one word slip.

"I swear I'll never speak of it again." JJ responded resolutely, knowing without question that she could trust the man pressed against her to carry this secret to the grave.

Their course of action clear and with the house silent once again the two agents finally chanced leaving their hiding place. They honed in on the heavy breathing signifying that the killer was asleep as they moved towards the kitchen. Their earlier exploration had been enough to tell them that for their purpose this was the best room in the home. They had already noted the bare rafters that covered a space filled with no more than a sink, dingy stove and refrigerator with only one chair and rickety table in the center of it, making it the only room that had all the requirements they would need for their plan.

They worked swiftly but in grim silence as JJ retrieved some rope from the utility closet as they began working to stage the scene, working silently as they kept their ears open for any change in the rhythmic snoring wafting down the hallway.

"Time to go wake him up, see how he reacts," Hotch finally broke the silence after a last check to make sure there were no signs pointing to anything beyond a suicide as they carefully checked their setup one last time.

"I'm ready." JJ said, pulling her weapon out and feeling the adrenaline rush as she followed him down the hallway, nerves tingling as she began to prepare for something that felt so familiar yet foreign at the same time.

"FBI, hands in the air." Hotch barked as they charged the room, shining flashlights in the bewildered man's face as he jolted awake, putting his hands in front of his face as he tried to shield himself from the glare.

"Wait, what, I don't understand." The man almost whimpered as he was forced out of bed and towards the hallway. "You guys can't arrest me again," he sputtered as he recognized his visitors.

The next few minutes were the ones that had been hard to predict as the agents wondered how he would react to seeing the noose above his kitchen table but he remained focused on them, not even seeing the noose as his mind became more alert. "Wait, where is everyone else? Last time you guys were here the place was swarming with cops. I want my lawyer." He began, knowing something was amiss at their silence and the hardened looks on their faces.

"You won't be needing your lawyers now," Hotch's voice sounded savage to his own ears as he looked up at the noose, effectively drawing attention to what they had in store for their captive.

JJ kept her gun on her weapon as she watched carefully to see how Starkey would respond as he registered what he was seeing, waiting for his reaction as his lips began to tremble before to their surprise he began to cry. "No, please don't kill me, please. I'll be a good boy I swear, I don't want to die, I'll be good, I promise" He began sobbing, sliding down to the floor as he began rocking in an obvious self-soothing method. JJ could again feel the slight stirring of sympathy in her heart as the weeping man on the floor so easily reminded her of the abused child she had thought about earlier. Looking at Hotch she could see by the set of his jaw that he remained determined in their mission. They couldn't go back she realized, once they had let him see them in his home they had committed themselves to the act they were about to do.

"James Starkey," Hotch began, drawing the sobbing man's attention to him as the sobbing turned into quiet sniffles. "You have been sentenced to death for rape and murder and to prevent you from committing any further acts of this nature against innocent children. We are sorry for the abuse you have suffered but it is time for the cycle of abuse to end, tonight you are finally going to have peace."

JJ felt tears threaten at the unfolding scene and at the unplanned addition to the sentence as Hotch pronounced the man's fate, realizing that he was not entirely unmoved by the reaction either but that he had the strength to go through with their plan at a time she felt the urge to run through the front door and back towards her car.

"JJ, do you need to leave?" Hotch asked, turning his attention towards her as he could read the distress on her face. Focused on Hotch she barely caught the smirk on their victims face as his gaze followed Hotch's, obviously realizing that he was at least getting to one of them.

"No, you're right," she agreed, straightening as she turned her gaze back to their victim who had quickly reverted to acting like a whimpering child. Whether he was faking or sincere she couldn't be positive, but the smirk had unnerved her and her intuition kept telling her that she was being played. Though Starkey was not a small man, he was smaller than Hotch who easily hauled him to his feet as JJ kept her weapon trained on the criminal in case he had a sudden spark of bravado.

Hotch felt a twist of guilt in his stomach as the man allowed himself to be led towards the table in much the same manner as when he would lead Jack to his room after he fell asleep in the living room. He almost wished for some aggression, a fight would make this seem less like the execution it was beginning to turn into. The profilers both fought to remind themselves of how they were ensuring the safety of other children as Hotch pushed him into climbing onto the metal chair before sliding the noose over his neck.

At this point the sniffling stopped and a mutinous look came over Starkey's face. "You can't do this, you're just trying to scare me. I want my lawyer now, I'm going to sue the FBI and the state for everything they're worth. I didn't want to hurt those kids, My father was the one who made me do it. He's the guilty one not me." His voice was still childish and he was obviously having a temper tantrum as he continued to rant and rave at the two agents about how they couldn't do anything to harm him, not realizing that these antics were the very things needed to help strengthen their resolve.

Hotch steeled himself for what he was about to do, he had never killed outside of the line of duty or when he had killed Foyett in a blind rage. Logic told him this needed to be done but looking at the shivering and now sulking man, standing before them in only his boxers he couldn't feel the imminent threat that made other kills easier on one's soul.

"Let me tell you why we're doing this," JJ's steady voice beside him was a surprise considering how unsteady she had looked the last time their eyes had met. "We each have sons, their names are Jack and Henry, we don't want them to be hurt the way you were hurt or the way you hurt others." She said, her voice almost maternal as she attempted to show reason to their victim. "I'm sorry your mother wasn't able to protect you as I am determined to protect my own son and others like him." As she mentioned his mother both men were both so focused on her speech that both were equally surprised at the sound of the chair hitting the floor.

Stepping back the two parents instinctively joined hands as they stood mesmerized by the thrashing as the man's air supply was cut off. It seemed like an agonizingly long time, though was probably less than a minute before he stopped kicking and lapsed into unconsciousness as his body began to shut down before his watchful executioners.

"We should go now," JJ finally said as it was apparent that James Starkey would never be able to hurt another child as the rope now swayed gently from the weight of the body attached to it.

With one last look around to ensure they had not left any evidence behind the two quietly made their way back towards their cars in the darkness, realizing that sunrise was not far off as they began their drive back home.


End file.
